Can God Use Me?

If you had told me 7 years ago that I would one day start my own ministry, I would have thought you were crazy. 

The idea that I would be sharing my faith with others would have been almost laughable to me. 

Why?

Because I did not have a close relationship with Christ, I was living far from how a Christian should live, and I hardly ever touched my Bible. 

Despite this, God decided to use me anyway, and I’m so glad that He did. 

As a result, my life is now drastically different. 

I am living proof that God can and will use even the most unlikely people for His gain. 

Don’t just take my word for it though. 

Sara Claudia speaking to First Presbyterian Church in Douglasville.

Let’s look to God’s word for another example of an unlikely disciple.

Matthew, one of Jesus’s 12 disciples, was a tax collector from Capernaum. Even in our own modern society, we cringe at the word “tax.”

At this time in history, however, tax collectors were especially despised. They were thought of as deceitful sinners, and they were known to conspire with the Romans against the Jewish people to cheat them out of their hard-earned money.    

Jesus, however, saw through this hatred and sin, and He decided to use Matthew anyway.

“As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and He said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed Him.”

(Matthew 9:9, ESV)

 If Jesus’s choice seems perplexing to you, you surely aren’t the only one. 

In fact, Jesus was known to spend much of His time with people like Matthew, tax collectors, sinners, and the undesirable individuals of society. 

When questioned about this, the following passage contains Jesus’s answer:

“And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.””

(Matthew 9:10-13, ESV)

Jesus did not come to a perfect world, but He came to one that was broken, troubled, and sick.

A calm ocean with the sun setting along with text that says, “Jesus did not come to a perfect world, but He came to one that was broken, troubled, and sick.”

He came to love us despite our misgivings and to save us from our sins.

As for Matthew, despite his checkered past, he proved to be a valuable tool for this mission of Jesus. As a former tax collector, he knew how to write, which was likely not a universal skill in those times.  

He used his knowledge to record the first gospel in the New Testament, the book of Matthew, in addition to being a devoted follower of Christ.

From the story of Matthew, we can learn Jesus came for all people, even the ones who are deemed undesirable or unworthy by others. 

Furthermore, Jesus can use those individuals and their unique skills to glorify Him and grow His kingdom.

Has God been calling you to take action? 

Have you been avoiding this call because you feel unworthy? 

I pray that you will look at the life of Matthew, as well as my own testimony, and feel inspired knowing that, no matter your past, you are a worthy and valuable tool for God.

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